Wednesday, 24 October 2012 10:56

Monday, 15 October 2012 06:56

This second newsletter provides an update on the advance made in the development of the 10 pilot sites selected under the Pegaso Project, and many other project activities including training opportunities, forthcoming seminars and international events related to integrated coastal zone management in both the Mediterranean and the Black Seas.

Link: http://www.uicnmed.org/newsletter/2012/pegaso_informs2_en.htm

Tuesday, 02 October 2012 13:39

A Spatial Data Infrastructure or SDI is a group of technologies, policies, standards, services and human resources that –taken together – allow for the compilation, manipulation, access, distribution and use of geographical data. One could say that an SDI is an instrument for the distribution and sharing of spatial data, by different kinds of users (public and private sector, academic, governmental or citizens organisations). Conceptually, we can compare what an SDI does for the distribution and sharing of data, with the function that the roads and highways fulfil for our transport purposes.  However, much like our network of roads and highways, an SDI is not just a technical tool that can function in an isolated way: rather it is designed to serve particular purposes. The PEGASO SDI is designed to support the PEGASO shared Governance Platform for the delivery of integrated Coastal Zone Management. The PEGASO SDI will also support the integrated assessments for the coastal zones of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

The construction of the SDI involves a collaborative process, to define common objectives, targets and actions. It is therefore crucial to achieve a common understanding and common view on how the PEGASO SDI can deliver the objectives of the ICZM Platform, and ultimately, support the ICZM processes in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. A common Capacity building and training package is fundamental to achieve this common view within the network of partner institutions. This Capacity Building within PEGASO SDI consists of an e-learning platform (1st semester of 2012), a 'hands-on' training session (Oostende, Belgium - 22-25th of October 2012, see http://www.pegasoproject.eu/registration/) and a guideline on how to harmonise and share spatial data.

Thursday, 20 September 2012 14:17

The network of Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MedPAN) and its partners, the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC/SPA), the General Directorate of Natural Assets Protection (Turkey) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Turkey, have the pleasure to invite you to the 2012 Forum of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean being held from November 25^th to 28^th, 2012 in Antalya, Turkey.

This Forum will serve as a platform to review the progress of the Mediterranean MPA network developed over the last years, and establish a common roadmap for 2020 in order to meet marine conservation challenges in the region. The Forum programme and further information are available at: www.medmpaforum2012.org

Tuesday, 11 September 2012 14:04

The “Global Congress on Integrated Coastal Management: Lessons Learned to Address New Challenges” (EMECS 10 - MEDCOAST 2013 Joint Conference) will take place in Marmaris, Turkey during 30 October - 03 November 2013. The “Call for Abstracts” can be found here. News about the development of the congress and the new communications can be followed through the following webpage which will be soon available:  http://www.medcoast.net.

Wednesday, 29 August 2012 07:53

The City of Oostende, at the heart of Belgium’s coast, will proudly host the 11^th Littoral conference, the biannual international conference of the Coastal and Marine Union – EUCC and EUROCOAST, from 27 – 29 November 2012. Coastal practitioners, researchers and policy makers are invited to registrate and participate at this year's conference. The full program is now available at the website.

Wednesday, 04 July 2012 14:28

The final BLAST conference "Future Perspectives" will take place on September 17-18, 2012 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The conference will focus on how key policies and tools in the North Sea region can help to harmonise the management of maritime and coastal space. Representing the public, private, research and non-profit sectors, keynote speakers will address how the BLAST approach can be extended to future needs for more integrated planning and more harmonised information.

Now in its final months, the BLAST project has generated many results and insights; new tools such as the Coastal Decision Support System, the North Sea Mariners' Routing Guide, the Maritime Traffic Monitoring Platform and the harmonised Land-Sea Model will be showcased at the conference. Vessel traffic and coastal management in the Edinburgh region will also be highlighted during an afternoon site visit to Forth Ports in Grangemouth. A preliminary programme for the conference is attached. Due to limited space on the site visit, early registration is encouraged. Please find the conference programme here and register now at the BLAST website:

Friday, 29 June 2012 14:08

The Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ, Marine & Coastal Research & Management in Flanders), the University Pablo de Olavide (UPO), and University of Barcelona (UAB) are organizing a practical workshop on Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI’s) in Oostende from 22 till 25 of October in the frame of the Pegaso SDI (WP3). The target group is Coastal professionals with GIS background, mainly from partner Institutions of the PEGASO project that are interested in SDI issues and want to develop a geonode. Therefore, the workshop will be focussed in practical exercises on how to set up an SDI, using open source software, and working out a specific case related to ICZM.

This training course will be carried out in collaboration with IODE, involving experts from ICAN and other relevant projects as EnviroGrids. We would like to invite you to register on the following link http://www.pegasoproject.eu/registration/, where also information about the accommodation and the agenda is available. Please for further information contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Friday, 22 June 2012 14:19

On 20 June 2012, a Rio+20 side event, moderated by Wendy Watson-Wright (Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission UNESCO-IOC), highlighted how the undivided ocean needs inter-related actions in science, protection and education to approach sustainable use of its resources. Learn more at: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/ioc-oceans/priority-areas/rio-20-ocean/single-view/news/know_our_ocean_protect_our_marine_treasures_empower_ocean_citizens/ and http://www.uncsd2012.org/meetings_sidevents.html

Wednesday, 23 May 2012 14:12

The FACECOAST cluster (”Face the challenge of climate change in the mediterranean coastal zones”) aims to gather and capitalize the contributions of the European projects, which deal with the matter of the coastal defense against natural and anthropogenic risks in the frame of the adaptation policy to climate change and sustainable development, taking into account the Integrated Coastal Zone Management approach. The signatures of the MoUs have been completed for 12 projects including PEGASO. Other initiatives are COASTANCE, MAREMED, SHIFT, MEDGOVERNANCE, PORTA, RESMAR, PERLA, TPE, MICORE, THESEUS and SHAPE.